Guns in the Home- How to Talk with Someone About Safe Storage Options

Whether you enjoy hunting or hitting the range for target practice, having trusted firearms that you can collect and maintain can be an excellent experience. If you're a dedicated firearm owner, you probably have a specific storage method for your gun to keep it secure.

Safe firearm storage leads to better overall gun ownership. If you use trigger locks, cases, gun safes or concealment wall art and furniture, you are doing your part to protect loved ones in your home from potential misfires and prevent potential theft.

However, you may have a friend or family member who doesn't have a secure method or place to store guns in the home. While it could be uncomfortable, you may want to consider talking to them about safe gun storage options. This conversation could be vital to their safety and the safety of others who live in the home.

Why It's Important

A conversation about safe gun storage is easy to shrug off. After all, you don't want your friend or family member to think you are nosy or condescending. While these conversations can be uncomfortable, they can lead to rewarding results. Whether or not you live in a state with gun negligence laws, gun safety in the home is essential.

For Children

It's essential to educate kids about what guns are capable of and how they work. After education, secure storage is the next step to preventing the misuse of firearms. Firearm-related injuries are the third leading cause of death among children ages 1-17. Nineteen children are killed or seriously injured every day because of improper gun use. 

While someone you know may think that a firearm is secure in a drawer or under their bed, children can be very perceptive and can find items that adults try to hide from them. 

Older Adults at Home

As parents or grandparents age, they may begin to show a mental or physical decline. If a senior citizen cannot safely control and operate a gun, they could be a hazard to themselves or family members. If they have difficulty remember family members due to Alzheimer's, dementia or other mental illnesses, they could pose a threat to others at home if there is an unsecured firearm.

Whether they own firearms or live with someone who owns them, making sure guns in the home are secure is crucial to everyone's safety.

Combating Against Gun Theft

Many gun owners have their firearms handy to keep themselves and their family members safe from intruders. However, guns are prime targets for thieves as they hold high resale value. If they don't store their guns in a locked gun safe, case or piece of concealment furniture, burglars can quickly grab them to sell or pawn.

Three Tips for Starting the Conversation

Your experience will differ depending on how well you know the person. Regardless of the relationship, it's a worthwhile conversation to have. Here are a few tips to help the discussion go smoothly:

• Be calm and casual: While gun storage safety is a serious matter, emotional escalation won't help you to convince someone to change how they store their firearm. It's more likely to make your friend or family member to tune out your message. 
• Hear them out: Whenever you are bringing the subject of gun safety up, listen to the other person's response and don't interrupt.
• Be prepared to help them find an alternative: Have a few other options prepared for your friend or family member if they ask what they should do to keep their firearms more secure. 
• Trigger or cable locks are a great starting point and have a low entry price. 
• Gun cases expand the security trigger and cable locks offer as they make the gun less accessible.
• Gun safes are an excellent option for firearms that you may not use very often. They have a higher level of security than a gun case or trigger and cable locks. However, they make firearms difficult to access whenever you need them in an emergency.
• Concealment wall art and furniture is the perfect solution for gun storage as it can secure a firearm while allowing quick access to the owner. 

As you know, safe gun storage is the best gun storage. If you or someone you know is looking for a secure, discreet way to store a firearm in the home, check out Liberty Home Concealment's vast array of concealment wall art and furniture.